Springfield High School & Junior High Awarded EPA Energy Star Building Label for Efficiency

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Nov 09, 2017, 07:35 ET

SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP, Ohio, Nov. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recognized Springfield High School & Junior High with the Energy Star Building Label, representing the school's achievement in placing among the most energy efficient K-12 school facilities in the United States and making it the only K-12 building in Summit County to have earned the distinction to date for 2017.

GARDINER presents Sprinfield's staff with Energy Star Award (L-R, Kevin Pugely from GARDINER, Mike Smith and Dustin Boswell from Sprinfield Local School District, and Nate Smik from GARDINER)

A relatively new facility, GARDINER identified how to more efficiently operate Springfield High School & Junior High's existing HVAC systems

Representatives from GARDINER, the district's partner in identifying and implementing energy conservation strategies, were on hand to present district Business Manager Dustin Boswell and Maintenance Supervisor Mike Smith with the Award.

"When we opened this facility in 2014, our promise to the community was to be as efficient as we could with the operating dollars that we had," said Boswell. "Although the building was new, we identified early on that we weren't getting the most from our new systems. The Energy Star award really symbolizes that we've stayed committed to that promise for our students and the community."

"Anything we can do to make the environment better for students and save money at the same time, is a win-win. The superintendent and the board have really been supportive on this effort," added Smith. "It's great recognition for the district."

EPA's Energy Star energy performance scale helps organizations assess how efficiently their buildings use energy relative to similar buildings nationwide. A building that scores a 75 or higher on EPA's 1-100 scale may be eligible for Energy Star certification. Springfield High School & Junior High has moved from a score of 69 a year ago to an 86 today, earning the Award. The GARDINER and Springfield teams worked closely together to identify both mechanical and control improvements, with Springfield's Smith and Gardiner's Nate Smik being particularly critical to the effort.

"The approach that GARDINER took was unique," said Boswell. "It was very customized and collaborative with our staff. We identified specific issues with our building and how we could operate it better and saw things improve in a gradual, systematic way."

"Dustin, Mike and the whole team were really committed to the program, working to improve both the learning environment for the teachers and students, as well as their energy efficiency," said Smik, an Energy Engineer with Gardiner. "The Energy Star Buildings label really illustrates for the community what Springfield Local Schools has been doing for a couple years now to save the district thousands of dollars while improving comfort in that facility."

About GARDINER
GARDINER is a full service HVAC, energy services and professional building services company serving Northern Ohio's commercial, industrial and institutional facilities, engineers and contractors since 1962. More than 2,500 clients in Northern Ohio trust GARDINER to solve their building comfort, reliability, energy, facilities planning, and project funding challenges. To learn more call 440-248-3400 or visit, www.whgardiner.com.

Media contact:
Dan Babic
[email protected]
440-248-3400

SOURCE GARDINER